Latest count on U.S. Senate candidates: 22

And according to the Federal Election Commission’s database, he is now the 22nd candidate for the U.S. Senate from New York.

Staudenraus, who lives on the secluded island between the North and South Forks of Long Island aptly named Shelter Island, filed a statement of candidacy last week. A native of Wisconsin, Staudenraus graduated from high school on Long Island and has a degree in citizenship and public affairs from Syracuse University. He’s a self-described small business owner who has a special interest in national security. He ran unsuccessfully for state Assembly in 2008.

He’s vying for the Republican nomination to run against Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer in November. His campaign motto? “It’s time to chuck Schumer.’’

New York’s other senator, Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, also is up for election. Gillibrand is running for the remaining two years of former Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s six-year term.

Republicans and Democrats plan to hold their state conventions in the next three weeks to nominate their preferred candidates. That will likely shrink the field of candidates, but the losers have the option of running in a September primary.

Washington correspondent Brian Tumulty has worked at the Gannett Washington Bureau since October 1992 covering the economy, taxes and organized labor as well as serving as Washington correspondent for newspapers in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Born in Queens and a graduate of Fordham University, Tumulty spent 15 years in Westchester covering Yonkers city hall and reporting on business.

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Jim Staudenraus, who helped lead opposition to former Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s failed plan to give drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants, now has another prominent Democrat in his sights: Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Staudenraus, a Republican, said that he would formally declare his candidacy to run against Schumer later this week.

If he wins the Republican nomination, Staudenraus said he plans to highlight the fact that many of Schumer’s $19 million-plus in campaign contributions have come from the financial sector. Staudenraus said he will also hit Schumer for supporting the financial industry bailout in 2008.

Staudenraus said that he would focus his own campaign on job creation.

“I see Senator Schumer as way out of touch with his constituents,” Staudenraus said.

In the last week, Staudenraus has met with about a dozen Republican county chairs in anticipation for a primary fight with political consultant Jay Townsend, who is also seeking the Republican line. Staudenraus has been handing to county chairs a nine-page memo (tagline: “It’s Time To Chuck Schumer”) about his strategy to pull off an upset over Schumer, a leading contender to be the next Senate majority leader, if Harry Reid loses a tough re-election bid in Nevada this fall.

Since elections is fast approaching, I hope these candidates will be honest enough to reveal their true selves to the public. Hopefully, the public will be wise enough to know the candidates and vote for the deserving ones with a clear mind.